Top 10 Underreported Humanitarian Stories
of 2007

Once a year the international medical aid organization Doctors Without
Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) releases a list of ten
stories that received little media attention despite the fact that they
concern some of the most urgent humanitarian issues and crises in the
world. This year's list, their tenth, focuses in part on the devastating
consequences of war and political unrest on civilian populations. It also
lists malnutrition and tuberculosis, both of which kill millions every
year.

Somalia: Sixteen years of violent internal conflict have led
to a catastrophic health crisis and the displacement of hundreds of
thousands of Somalia’s people. Malnutrition, kala azar (a
parasitic disease) and tuberculosis are major issues, and life
expectancy is estimated to be only 47 years. In Afgooye, just outside
the capital of Mogadishu, an estimated 200,000 internally displaced
persons live in extremely harsh conditions with little access to food,
water, and shelter.

Zimbabwe: Rampant unemployment, skyrocketing inflation, food
shortages, and political instability continued to wrack Zimbabwe in
2007. Up to 3 million people are believed to have fled to neighboring
countries in recent years among a population of 12 million. An estimated
1.8 million Zimbabweans are living with HIV/AIDS, and less than
one-fourth of the people in urgent need of life-extending antiretroviral
(ARV) treatment receive it.

Tuberculosis: Every year nearly 2 million people die from TB,
and an estimated 9 million develop it. To make matters worse, some
strains of the disease have been found to be resistant to the drugs
designed to fight them.

Malnutrition: More than 60 million children in the world have
signs of acute malnutrition and are at serious risk of death, and
malnutrition is associated with the deaths of five million children
under the age of five each year. Nutrient dense ready-to-use foods
(RUFs) can save the lives of acutely malnourished children. These new
products come in the form of milk- and peanut-based pastes enriched with
all the vitamins and nutrients needed for rapid recovery. But so far
these products are only available to a tiny fraction of the severely
malnourished children who need them.

Sri Lanka: Fighting between government forces and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has led to the displacement of
thousands of civilians, and put them at serious risk of violence. In
addition, restrictions placed on humanitarian organizations have made it
difficult for people to get the help they need.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Brutal violence between various
armed groups, including the national army, has devastated the civilian
population, particularly in the eastern province of North Kivu. Driven
from their land, many live without adequate food or water, and face
serious risks of sexual violence, as well as meningitis, malaria,
cholera, and measles.

Columbia: Though there are some signs of improvement, violent
conflict, largely fueled by the narcotics trade, is still a part of
everyday life for civilians. Almost three million people have been
forced to abandon their homes, and many suffer from poverty, disease,
and mental disorders.

Myanmar (Burma): Isolated from the outside world since the
ruling military junta came to power in 1962, the people of Myanmar
suffer from the consequences of repression and neglect. Faced with high
malaria and HIV rates, the impoverished population is provided with
little assistance—only 1.4% of the regime's budget supports
health-care services.

Central African Republic: Fighting between government forces
and various rebel groups has led to the displacement of over 100,000
civilians, many of whom have taken refuge in forests. Forced to subsist
without adequate food, water, or shelter, many of the refugees suffer
from malaria, worm infestation, and acute respiratory infections.

Chechnya: It has been nearly four years since the most
intense fighting subsided between Russian government and rebel forces in
the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya. Tens of thousands of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to Chechnya. At the same time,
reconstruction has increased in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Yet the
Caucasus region remains highly volatile. Fighting outside Chechnya has
increased and a large military presence still inhabits the region.
Abductions, disappearances, assassinations, and bombings continue in
Ingushetia, North Ossetia, and Dagestan. Inside Chechnya, the security
situation is still precarious for civilians. Basic health services,
particularly in the areas of obstetrical and gynecological care, are
woefully lacking and, when available, remain out of reach for many
impoverished returnees.